Spring for beds and mattresses



Dec.v I2, B. GLADSTONE 2,354,966

SVPING FOR BEDS AND MATTRESSES Filed Junel 6. 1942 S Fig. 1.

I S l ery'amz'n Gladsone.

Patented Dec. 12, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPRING FOR BEDS AND MATTRESSES Benjamin Gladstone, Lynn, Mass. Application June 6, 1942, Serial No. 446,092

2 Claims.

The invention is in spring structures, designed primarily for mattresses, but which may be used on beds without the ordinary mattress covering if desired. f

The principal object of the invention is to produce a mattress spring having a very deep elastic body, deeper than has heretofore been deemed practicable, and yetone that will have sufficient stability and lateral strength to prevent its collapse under normal use.

As such springs have heretofore usually been made, there has been a distinct limit to the practicable thickness of the spring body, four or ve inches beingregarded as the maximum permissible. Such spring structures are commonly made of coiled wire units of which the end convolutions are larger than the middle ones; so that the end convolutions have greater length of wire, and therefore greater elasticity than the smaller coils, while the smaller coils give stiffness to the individual units and therefore lateral stability or rigidity to the structure as a whole. In the past, if a deeper spring mass were desired, itwas necessary to use a duplex structure, with one set of springs on top of another set.

By my invention, the individual springs are made longer than has heretofore been regarded as practicable, but the springs are so braced that a structure of much greater depth is possible, without a tendency to excessive swaying and danger of lateral collapse.

Referring to the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly sectional, the section being taken on the line I--I of Fig. 2, and showing the construction at various levels of the spring structure of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end View of the structure, but partly in section on the line 2--2 of Fig'. 1, showing the internal construction.

Referring to the drawing, the structure will at once be seen to be made of typical springs D, which, however, are relatively tall compared with springs usually employed for this purpose. Any desired number of springs can be used. In the drawing forming a part of this application, a plurality of rows of ve springs each may be seen.

The individual springs D have enlarged end coils III, and smaller coils II at or near the middle part thereof. The enlarged end coils I0 render these parts of the individual springs, and therefore the entire springs, highly elastic; while the smaller coils I I are stiffer, and so give rigidity to the individual springs, and, therefore, tofthe entire structure, as will be explained.

The top and the bottom convolutions I0 of the successive springs in the several rows are joined by connectors S, which, preferably are themselves more or less elastic. While these connectors may be of any desired form, as here shown; they are helical coils of wire of continuous formation, sometimes termed snake coils. These are secured to the large convolutions I of the springs D by threading the same thereon, but they may be put on in any other way; or connectors of other types may be used. In addition, similar helical connectors are arranged, one on each edge of the construction, both top and bottom. These not only connect the individual coils or springs D in rows, but also form border supports for the mattress covering.

The exact method of connecting the coils, and forming the edges of the spring structure, is illustrative only, and other means may be used.

In addition to the above described connections, the individual springs D are further connected in rows by wires I2 at or about their middle or smaller coils II, where the springs are stiffest and therefore have the greatest lateral stability. These connectors are preferably rigid so that strains in any direction may be transmitted. The ends of these connecting wires I2 are secured around the convolutions II by bending the same around the wire of the coils, as at I2', and to all other coils by suitable clips I3, so as to hold all of the springs D rigidly together. Other methods of fastening may be used.

Further connectors I4 run across the spring structure, and are secured to the middle portions I I of the several springs which are in line. Likewise, still other connectors I5 are run diagonally across the `structure and connect together the springs D at about their middle portions. The connectors I4 and I5 are shown as having their ends wrapped around the coils II, but this fastening means is merely illustrative, as is the -clipping means I6, by which the connectors I4 and I5 are secured at certain points. All cross rows and diagonal lines of springs may be connected as described, or only certain of them, 'as may be preferred. This arrangement of connectors is best shown in Fig. 2. l Y

By means of the connectors I2, I4 and I5, all of the springs D, or as many of them as may be thought necessary, are rigidly secured together, longitudinally, crosswise and diagonally, and therefore take all strainsas a unit. The entire structure is unusually stable for this reason.

Further, since the connectors are secured to the springs at their smaller convolutions II, it follows that any force applied to any spring is transmitted to all the others in their areas of greatest rigidity. For this reason it is possible to use springs that are much taller than those heretofore employed in such spring constructions.

There are distinci-I advantages in using connectors which are more or less elastic to connect the large convolutions of the coils, and rigid connectors which Willtake both push and pull strains between the small convolutions; for this arrangement gives elasticity to the top and bo*- tom of the structure, and rigidity to the middle part thereof. y

As stated earlier, this construction may be used as a bed spring such as is adapted to have a mattress placed thereupon, or it may be padded and covered, and used as a spring mattress.

Other ways than that shown will readily suggest themselves for connecting the individual springs; but it is to be understood that the broad idea is so to join the springs that any pull or thrust that may affect one spring, or group of springs, will at once be transmitted to all or most of the other springs of the structure at and through the strongest portion of each spring.

Since the vertical compression of the individual springs is not appreciably affected by the method of connection shown, the elasticity of the assembly is not substantially changed.

As has beenexplained, it is not essential that al1 springs be tied to al1 other springs; some purposes may be served as well by leaving individual springs, or even rows of springs, unfastened. Having thus described the invention, I claim: 1.I In a spring structure for beds and mattresses, individual double cone springs each having the end convolutions larger than the middle ones, means for connecting the large convolutions together lin longitudinal rows, means for connecting the smaller convolutions of the springs together in longitudinal rows, means for connecting the smaller convolutions of the springs together in transverse rows, and other means for connecting the smaller convolutions of the springs together in diagonal rows, so that the smaller convolutions act as a unit to take strains which affect any one of them.

2. In a spring structure for beds and mat- 

